Some games just keep getting better

Author's Rating:

Pros: Updated graphics, great storyline, easy gameplay.

Cons: Lack of real stylus use, game difficulty shows its age

The Bottom Line: 

I would recommend this game for any RPG lover (or just an RPG-liker).

Author's Review
Final Fantasy IV for the DS is another remake of the classic SNES title (originally released as Final Fantasy II in the USA). The game has already had some remakes (Final Fantasy Chronicles for the Playstation, and Final Fantasy IV Advance for the GBA), so what makes this one worth buying?

I. Graphics
This reiteration features the same beloved 3D graphics as did Final Fantasy III DS. The characters are much more lovable and, because of this, the story is that much more memorable. New visual effects have been added in combat to hide the game’s age as well as the ability to see maps on the bottom screen. Whether you’re in a town or a dungeon, maps are available to tell you where treasures, paths, and save spots are. Of course some maps lie a bit because of secret items, but it is a nice feature.

II Sound
When I originally heard that the game was going to have voice acting, a shiver went up my spine. Voice acting is so hit or miss that it can truly ruin a game. Thankfully the voice acting is only existent during important scenes, not all the time. Also it can be turned off. The last good part is that the voice actors actually did a decent job. Regarding the sound quality, when it comes to the background music the score is - as always- absolutely beautiful. The classic town songs warm you up; the battle songs have the ever so classic Final Fantasy bass lines and victory songs; dungeons will hold an aura of mystery. All of this done with great quality (for the DS). However not all sounds are this clear. Some special effects, as well as the voice acting, will have buzzing sounds if your volume is too low (yes, too low). So if you’re using headphones (where you would have lower sound since it goes directly to your ear) or if you’re trying to save some battery life, you will have to endure the buzz. However once you turn it up, or completely mute it, the buzz seems to go away.

III Story
Final Fantasy IV may have a traditional story - hero meets friends who seek to take down a wronged empire that has been led astray by an unknown force- it does have enough eventful points to keep you interested. Whether it’s by the bizarre turn of events that’ll take you to some strange places, whether it’s by the unexpected betrayal of a character, or whether it’s by a tearful death, there is something to inspire you to keep going.

IV Gameplay
A game is nothing if it doesn’t have solid gameplay. After 20 years, there is nothing that can truly be done that can truly stand out. This is a classic RPG. You choose an action, hit monsters, and try to get their HP to 0. You use MP for magic,; you have summoning skills; different characters have different abilities (some are super strong, some are defensively amazing, and some can use magic to no end). This particular installment uses the ATB, the active time gauge, which means your characters can act once their time bar gets full, so at least it’s not a team-based turn battle.

Regarding the DS gameplay, mainly the stylus.
One of the biggest disappointments for me is the lack of stylus usage. It is only usable to walk your characters, and do a few mini games. You can’t do your battles with it; you can’t even talk to Non-Playing Characters with it. Considering this was one of my favorite features of FF3DS, I’m sad it wasn’t implemented in the 4th. After all what’s the point of being able to run around using the stylus if I’m still going to have to reach for buttons if I need to talk to someone, activate a switch, or open a chest?

A few updates:
The battle now tells you directly what your enemy’s weaknesses are. Now I don’t mean they tell you right away, that’d be boring. However once you find the weakness , it’ll say “weakness” on the screen. Additionally you can now assign “augments” which are automated abilities such as auto-potion. However the greatest feature is probably the ability to automate battle completely. You can choose an ability that your characters will use over and over again in a battle. Automated battling can be turned on or off at any time in a battle. This is great if you know you need to level but don’t feel like doing the battles yourself.

The only downside to the gameplay is that it can show how old-style it is. Newer games would make sure that new characters are at an appropriate level, the level you would most likely be at, so that you don’t have to waste time leveling them before moving on to the story. Newer games would also make sure that all monsters in an area are about the same difficulty, and if not there would be a system in place to tell you if a super monster was in place. However this game, being old fashioned, will sometimes have monsters with super abilities at unknown times; you will do a lot of babysitting when it comes to new characters; you may also have 2 or more bosses in a row (even early on in the game) with no save/healing points in between.

V online play
While the game is strictly single player,  as it should be, there is an option to do online battling. You can raise a creature (called Whyt) and improve its abilities, teach it attacks, and personalize its look. That create can battle another person’s Whyt. Raising the abilities of your own Whyt is where the stylus comes in; it is done via minigames. The first one you’ll have access to is a math minigame where you’re given some numbers and you have to manipulate them so that they end up as 10. The more successful you are, the more points you get, and the more likely your Whyt is to become more powerful.

VI Everything else
There are added bonuses such as a bestiary, scene viewer, and jukebox - all of whom can be accessed rather early on in the game.

Conclusion
This is a great game that is easy to pick up (though I wouldn‘t pay full price for it. Try to see if you can get it for under 25$), and great for mobile play. There’s even a quick save function if you need to shut your DS off before you can reach a save point. While there are some downsides with the stylus and the old fashion of the game, any RPG lover could see past them and enjoy the game for the gem it is. For people who don’t like RPG’s, this is probably not the game to convert you.

If you already have an older version of the game, I would still consider the changes as worthy enough to buy the game, especially if those versions weren’t mobile. If you have the GBA remake, the only thing you need to ask yourself is “Are 3D graphics, a slightly updated battle system, and the ability to battle with others a must-have for me?”